Gav Thorpe's Blog, page 27

War Without End – New Horus Heresy Anthology

Today sees the release of War Without End, a new Horus Heresy anthology which includes my short story By The Lion’s Command. The book also contains:

Graham McNeil – Wolf Mother, The Divine Adoratrice

Aaron DembskiBowden – Howl of the Hearthworld, Lord of the Red Sands

Nick Kyme – Imperfect, Chirugeon, The Phoenician, Artefacts

Rob Sanders – Hands of the Emperor, The Harrowing

David Annandale – Sermon of Exodus

James Swallow – All That Remains, Gunsight

Chris Wraight – Allegiance, Daemonology

John French – Black Oculus

Guy Haley – Twisted, The Laurel of Defiance, A Safe and Shadowed Place

Andy Smillie – Virtues of the Sons

eBook – 978-1785723414

mp3 – 978-1785723421

Hardback – 978-1784963651 (pre-order today for release on 30th January)

Here’s what others had to say about By The Lion’s Command:

“The ending is a surprise, and could lead to something amazing. Well played, Mr. Thorpe. Well played. 9/10”

– EJ Davies, Fifty Shades of Geek

“The short was good stuff, showing the Dark Angels and their usual heretical selves. I hope we get to see more of them riding on the grey line here in the future.”

– Dylan Murphy, Goodreads

“Thought provoking and intriguing with a great moment at the end. 8/10”

– Xhalax, Fifty Shades of Geek

“Great look at the mind of one of the Leader’s of the Dark Angels as they prepare to engage the Death Guard during the Heresy. 5/5”

– David Stanley, Goodreads

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

Looking ahead to 2016 – The Hobby Bit

Pretty much a year ago to this day I resolved to do more ‘hobby’ in 2015 – more gaming, more painting. It went okay, but I’m looking to do even more in 2016. Just as with looking ahead to my work schedule it doesn’t pay to forecast too far ahead, but I have a number of ongoing projects I want to complete and some definite plans for what I want to do next.

An empire trade caravan and some folks to protect or attack it.

On The Painting Table

The first priority is to finish the Anaryal: The World of Twilight miniatures I started a couple of months ago. I ‘batch’ paint, working on several figures at once, but perhaps picked too many to paint at the same time on this pass. There’s too much going on in terms of numbers of colours and different paint schemes to get in a groove. To get them finished I’m going to split them into two lots and finish one before tackling the other.

I’m going to take a break from the denizens of Anaryal after that, for a short while, and turn my attention to something both old and new – Betrayal at Calth. Space Marines have, of course, been around for a long time. And it has also been a long time since I painted any. I think the last ones were some Terminators I did for a playtest ‘mock-up’ for the re-launch of Space Hulk, and that was when I was still at GW in 2006. It must have been four or five years since I had painted any Space Marines before that. It’s been so long, in fact, I’m going to have to learn to paint Space Marine-style from scratch. I’ll be painting them as the Ultramarines and Word Bearers featured in the game and storyline, rather than as a single force for games of 40K (or more properly, 30K). But if it goes well, it could be the start of something bigger. But let’s not get carried away.

What is particularly telling is that I need to go out and buy some polystyrene cement to assemble them first – how long since I worked on plastic models!?

If it goes well I’ll crack into my copy of Space Hulk…

Awaiting the Brush

As well as the remaining Anaryal models, I’m going to tackle two Kickstarter miniatures projects. The first is some anthropomorphic warriors from Oathsworn for their Burrows and Badgers range. Kez has even expressed an interest in painting one of these furry adventurers – a possible first foray into miniatures painting. When they are done I’ll probably be using them for some games of Open Combat.

A more recent arrival from Kickstarter is a collection of Mad Max-esque vehicles as part of the Road/ Kill Car Combat game. I’ve wanted to have a go at these since their first attempt at a Kickstarter a couple of years ago and finally I’ve got the chance. Like most of my projects, they offer something a bit different, and whether I’ll use them with the Road/ Kill rules (which look fun) or as a spur for something of my own design, I don’t know yet (possibly both).

And for something just for fun, with no gaming attached, I have a couple of Filbots to paint. I know Fil Dunn from his time as an ‘Eavy Metal painter at Games Workshop and a quick look at his Facebook shows that he is crazy about robots, and BIG ROBOTS at that. I can understand that sort of obsession. As a thank you for putting in a good word occasionally, Fil sent me a lovely Christmas present. As these will be display pieces I’m going to leave them until I’ve regained a bit of my painting mojo on some other projects – I want to take my time with these.

If I’m completely honest, my painting is not as good as it used to be. I was never going to win any Golden Demon Slayer swords, but back in my GW days I was painting regularly, working alongside and inspired by some of the top professional miniatures painters and most talented hobbyists you could ever hope to meet. I’ve defaulted to a sort of basecoat – wash – highlight technique that does okay for most of the things I’m painting, but I need to go back to school for some of the other projects I have in mind.

To that end I asked for, and received, a particular Christmas present – Painting Wargaming Figures by Javier Gomez . It’s a very different style to what I have become accustomed to, but that’s sort of the point. I’m really looking forward to trying out something different, maybe finding some techniques that’ll reinvigorate my approach to painting.

Kickstarters Due to Arrive

I’ve taken a vow to step away from Kickstarter for a little while. It might be a couple of months, it might be six, we’ll have to see if anything irresistible comes up. I’ve still got quite a bit of stuff in the pipe to come through, and it’s time to have a break and take stock. With projects like this dark ages fort arriving and later on Onslaught Two for Cthulhu Wars, storage is becoming a genuine issue. I’ll find the space (and it really is a coincidence that we are thinking of extending the house and adding two rooms…) but I want to appreciate what I’ve already got.

(With that said, Parallax is due for a re-launch and that looks very cool. There will also be some other news coming soon regarding Parallax.)

After a bumpy middle period, Rumbleslam finished on a surge of funding, so I’m going to have to think which of the models I’m going to pick when survey time comes around. Certainly something Dwarfy, and I may up my pledge for a few more miniatures…

I’ve got some roleplaying games coming along this year, which will be interesting. The new edition of Paranoia will certainly become a favourite I’m sure, and in a similar vein Goblin Quest will prove popular for standalone sessions. Blades in the Dark offers something in a different style – it looks like a thoroughly modern RPG and I hope to try it out with some of my old roleplaying regulars.

I also have a slew of board games, but more of them later.

Perhaps most significant from the hobby angle, certainly in RPG, card and board games terms, is the opening of the Dice Cup. This is Nottingham’s first board games cafe, one that I have a year membership for, as well as more drinks and food vouchers than is entirely necessary. With a central Nottingham venue and different games (and refreshments) on tap, I’m hoping this will help me keep in the gaming habit.

Video Killed the Tabletop Star?

I also backed by first videogame on Kickstarter – the venerable Battletech getting a new makeover from some of the creators of the legendary Mechwarrior. Seriously, they had me at ‘Battletech’ and ‘turn-based tactical’.

I could run the game on the main PC, but sitting upstairs in the (hopefully new) office is antisocial. With that in mind, and the coming releases of Dark Future: Blood Red State and Total War: Warhammer I probably need to save up for a gaming laptop. Please buy more of my books and stories to aid in this mission. Even if you think you’ve read them all, you should go and check, just to be sure.

Gaming Night

As I recently posted on Facebook and Twitter my 2016 boardgaming got off to a good start with an inaugural venture into Battlestar Galactica: the Board Game. I’ve owned the game for several years but this was the first opportunity to play it – and we had a great time. It will definitely be coming out again, perhaps next time the humans will manage more than two jumps before being overrun by a Cylon boarding party…

I’m hoping this group, or some permutation of the members, can get together every couple of weeks, because I have a mountain of games I want to play – and a few of the others certainly have too! It’s the sort of thing that if done regularly becomes habitual, like painting, and that’s where I want to get to.

As well as more Battlestar Galactica, we’ll be returning to Cthulhu Wars. Now with added stuff from the second wave of the Kickstarter (I didn’t go all out on expansions, but I have made up the rest with Onslaught Two!). The single outing so far was good fun, with more of an idea of what is going on, this will become a regular diversion I’m sure.

As well as some of the Kickstarters from last year we can look forward to the arrival of the beautiful-looking Scythe, Tiny Epic Western (as well as playing the previous Tiny Epic games), Human Interface – Nakamura Tower (some more beautiful miniatures for which I need some practice before attempting), Side Quest, and the much-delayed but anticipated Tavern Brawl.

Homegrown Fun

Lastly, I want to get some time on the homebrew rules I’ve been working on. The most likely candidate is a set of World War II rules I’ve been noodling with for nearly seven years. I’ve been umming and aahing about how to present the system on a commercial basis, but really I just need to knuckle down, get some games in to check the rules are tight, and worry about publishing later. If the mechanics are sorted, the rest can follow.

I also have some pretty grand plans for some really fun 15mm Sci-fi rules – a return to a more narrative-style gaming focussed around storytelling and imagination more than competitive scenarios (inspired in part by the original Warhammer 40,000 – Rogue Trader, like Inquisitor). I’ve got some part-painted models already, but like the Anaryal miniatures I need to focus on getting a few finished at a time.

On a more personal-yet-commercial front, I’m hoping to turn the notes I have for playing with Undead in Close Combat into a fully-fledged supplement that Second Thunder will be able to publish. That will mean getting plenty of games in to get them right. It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it.

Board games underneath a coincidence!

(As an aside, do you know what I like most about Open Combat? The number and difference of ideas players have, to expand and use the rules in various ways.)

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but like a year ago I’m determined to get more hobby-tastic in 2016. How did you do in 2015, and what are your hobby and gaming goals for the year?

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

Three Top Tips for Black Library Submissions

Games Workshop/ Black Library currently has an ongoing call for new writers. There is obviously a lot of interest in this amongst fans and writers, and I am often asked what potential applicants can do to increase their chances. With that in mind, here are the three things I believe you need to bear in mind.

It’s a WARgame

In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, There is Only War. It’s a mission statement, not just a tag-line. Your piece has to involve some fighting, or some consequence of bloody war in a fairly direct fashion. This doesn’t mean it should just be action-filler, it still has to have an element of character and plot. But if you’re writing the romance between a fourth-rank Administratum clerk and the preacher of the local Ecclesiarchy shrine, one of them better turn to Chaos and stab the other, or get shot at some point…

Less obvious, but just as important – just because there is a fight doesn’t mean your piece has ‘conflict’. Simply kill or be killed does not usually make for a compelling story, it’s generic and commonplace to all war stories. As with anything else, the protagonist must have a clear goal, an obstacle (other than survival) to overcome, and some transitional change of realisation that allows them to do so. Yes, even in 500 words. It can be done.

Thematically, make it a piece that could only take place in 40K or the Age of Sigmar – not a generic tale with the right names added, but something that is at the heart of the grim darkness of the Imperium or the essence of the cosmic battle against Chaos. It is an attitude more than using the right terminology.

Don’t Get Cocky, Kid

Pick something to write that best showcases your skills, but be sure to produce what you’ve been asked to write. Don’t try to take the brief and manipulate it to something other than what it is. If you are asked for an Ultramarine against an Ork, stick to that and do it well.

To put it another way – the editors want to see that you can write (technically and in storytelling terms) and do so to a brief. At this stage they are looking for execution, not ideas. You will be judged on the quality of the writing and the knowledge of the background it displays (but don’t throw in exposition just to show off that you’ve read a timeline in a Codex).

Punch First, Punch Hard

Chuck Wendig has some great advice on writing short stories (available here) and one that keeps coming back to me goes something like:

Start the story as close as possible to the end.

It probably had more swearing and references to bodily functions than that, but that was how I remembered it. In longer terms, work out what the piece is about – the final moment, the crescendo of the action and narrative – and then give the reader just enough lead-in so that they can understand what’s at stake and why, and appreciate that moment but nothing more. Look at ways to convey context without exposition and description, allow the reader to make a few leaps themselves. Have the blade poised to fall, the mountain about to crumble, the bomb about to explode.

Do not confuse backstory (or in this case history and lore) with story. Write it well and the reader will be carried into the fray needing to know what happens, not caring that they are a little fuzzy on the details. Stories are an emotional journey not a rational one, and the shorter they are, the less room for explanations and more necessity for raw narrative. We do not need to know exactly why and how the Ultramarines and Orks are fighting, only the detail that pits your characters together in their particular dance of death. The shorter the piece, the more immediate the intro and pay-off have to be.

Secret, Bonus Advice

Learn about Age of Sigmar. Really. I would wager that 80%+ of applicants are well-versed in 40K lore only. If you can be an expert on the unfolding Age of Sigmar setting, you’ve jumped a big chunk of the queue.

So, use the comments to let us know if you’ve applied, what you’ve learnt and to celebrate any successes you’ve had.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

My Raven Guard Reading Order

With the recent general release of my Ravenlord novella in eBook, mp3 and hardback formats, I thought it would be useful to clarify the reading order for my various Raven Guard stories, so you know where it fits into the grand scheme of things.

Raven’s Flight

Face of Treachery

Deliverance Lost

The Divine Word

Corax: Soulforge

The Shadowmasters

Ravenlord

The Value of Fear

Raptor

You can also read and watch a few interviews I’ve given which touch on the Raven Guard here:

Mengel Miniatures – January 2015

The Shell Case – February 2012

Nova Open – 2011

I’ve previously published a reading order for all of my work here: A Reader’s Guide

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**

Legacies of Betrayal – French & German Out Now

The French and German Editions of the Horus Heresy anthology Legacies of Betrayal, which contains my stories Honour to the Dead, The Divine Word, and Guardian of Order, are out today in Paperback.

FRENCH EDITION

Title: L’Héritage de la Trahison

ISBN: 978-1780302461

GERMAN EDITION

Title: Das Vermächtnis des Verrats

ISBN: 978-1781931356

Here’s what others have had to say about Legacies of Betrayal:

“If you haven’t read Riven, Kryptos or The Divine Word, or if you’ve missed any of the audio dramas, then this will be an absolute treasure trove of new material shedding light on various aspects of the Heresy and linking in with the full-length novels. It’s also an absolute treat to get some of the best audio dramas in prose version, especially Honour to the Dead and Censure (perhaps some of the best stories in the whole series to date), and more than anything the overriding impression upon completion is how strong the storytelling is getting with the audios.”

– Michael Dodd, Track of Words

“If you’re a fan of the series, then I strongly recommend this collection, as it fills in some gaps and offers hints for what is to come. And, of course, because it’s near-universally well-written.”

– Stefan Fergus, Civilian Reader

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books. The next winner will receive a copy of the new Ultramarines anthology, which contains my novella Catechism of Hate.**

Legacies of Betrayal – French & German Editions Out Now

The French and German Editions of the Horus Heresy anthology Legacies of Betrayal, which contains my stories Honour to the Dead, The Divine Word, and Guardian of Order, are out today in Paperback.

FRENCH EDITION

Title: L’Héritage de la Trahison

ISBN: 978-1780302461

GERMAN EDITION

Title: Das Vermächtnis des Verrats

ISBN: 978-1781931356

Here’s what others have had to say about Legacies of Betrayal:

“If you haven’t read Riven, Kryptos or The Divine Word, or if you’ve missed any of the audio dramas, then this will be an absolute treasure trove of new material shedding light on various aspects of the Heresy and linking in with the full-length novels. It’s also an absolute treat to get some of the best audio dramas in prose version, especially Honour to the Dead and Censure (perhaps some of the best stories in the whole series to date), and more than anything the overriding impression upon completion is how strong the storytelling is getting with the audios.”

– Michael Dodd, Track of Words

“If you’re a fan of the series, then I strongly recommend this collection, as it fills in some gaps and offers hints for what is to come. And, of course, because it’s near-universally well-written.”

– Stefan Fergus, Civilian Reader

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books. The next winner will receive a copy of the new Ultramarines anthology, which contains my novella Catechism of Hate.**

Looking ahead to 2016 – The Worky Bit

So it’s that time when we look back and forward, travelling the time continuum like office chair-bound Timelords. The retrospective on 2015 has been done here, it must be time to tap a few keys about what 2016 has in store. Not having a crystal ball or TARDIS, this will obviously only touch on those things already in motion or that I have definite plans for – a year is a long time and who knows what might appear on my desk in the coming months. Plus there are already a couple of really cool things I can’t talk about yet…

Black Library

As have most years, 2016 is already starting to fill up with a steady flow of commissions and potential commissions from Black Library, as well as a few bits and bobs of rewrites left over from my pre-Christmas submissions. The most pressing of these will likely be the redraft of volume 8 for The Beast Arises, my second contribution to that epic series. There will also be some tweaks to be done on a forthcoming Age of Sigmar short story.

After that I’m looking at a couple of Horus Heresy-related projects. The first is a return to Corax and the Raven Guard, following up on Ravenlord (which is now on general release, plug-plug-plug). The story ties into new events currently being explored by Forge World, although at the same time it also harks back to the origins of the Horus Heresy background from the Adeptus Titanicus game. Expect big battles, treachery and clashing Primarchs.

The other project is a return to the audio format, in the vein of Raven’s Flight, Honour to the Dead and Raptor. I can’t reveal the subject for the moment, but it will cover a pretty pivotal and infamous event. I’m currently getting my head around the general concept and thinking how best it might be exploited with audio narration and sound effects.

To round off the first half of the year, I’ll be revisiting a well known character for the Legends of the Dark Millennium series. I couldn’t possibly spill the beans on who it is yet, but suffice to say it is someone with whom I have become quite well acquainted in recent years.

You may be able to see from the copyright notice in the top right, that I started this in 2013

Original Fiction

Aside from the rewrites and preparation for a couple of the titles I’ve just mentioned, the start of this year is all about finishing the first novel in my next original fantasy series. I wanted to do this back in October last year but events and work took over, so I made the decision to put a break in my other work to give myself time.

This will only be the first draft complete. I already have much in mind I want to look at when I come to the first round of editing, but I’m determined not to look at the start of the manuscript until that first draft is finished; otherwise I’ll spend the time I’ve set aside on rewrites rather than completing the novel. When that’s done I can come back in the summer, redraft the work and get it ready to send out to potential agents and publishers.

And that will be a whole new experience…

I also have a couple of short stories ready for publication. The first is Psychopomp and Ceremony coming in the Weird Ales anthology from Knightwatch (who have released two of my short stories last year – A Wild Affair and End Transmission).

The other is The Nu-Thai Screwjob, penned especially for Grimdark Magazine – a cyberpunkish sci-fi tale of sexual power and corporate politics. You’ll see that Grimdark already has an impressive list of contributors and participants – the likes of Brandon Sanderson and Peter V. Brett as well as fellow BL/GW alumni Graham Mcneill, Matthew Ward, Sarah Cawkwell and David Annandale. I’m very pleased to be included in such company.

Weird Ales is currently slated for release in February and Grimdark Magazine issue 7 comes out on 1st April.

I can also exclusively reveal now that I will also be writing a novella-length fiction for the forthcoming Cryptid Clash series. The brain-child of author Josh Reynolds, this series of books combines ‘monster mash’-style movies and the world of Cryptozoology to pit the strangest creatures against each other in fantastic tales. The series will be published by 18th Wall Productions. Other contributors, aside from Josh himself, include David Annandale, C L Werner, William Meikle, Nikki Nelson-Hicks, Frank Larnerd and Derrick Ferguson. I’ll be revealing as bit more about my tale in the months to come.

I’m hoping there will be some games design work along the way – I’ve certainly been chewing through enough ideas with Carl about Open Combat I really should write them down properly… And maybe a few other things that have been bubbling around that I need to release into the wild in some fashion.

So that’s the work, what about the play? Next week’s post will be about my hobby goals for 2016. Until then, I hope you have a productive and fun year! Let me know your plans and what you’re looking forward to in the comments.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books. The next winner will receive a copy of the Ultramarines anthology.**

Ravenlord – Available to Buy Tomorrow!

Freedom bought with blood.

As the Horus Heresy continues, Corax and the remnants of his once mighty Legion now wage an entirely different kind of war – liberating worlds oppressed by traitor forces, they gather more and more followers, disrupting the Warmaster’s influence wherever they can. But after an unexpected reunion with a fellow survivor of Isstvan V, the Raven Guard learn of the prison colony of Carandiru and realise that they must face the ghosts of their past on Deliverance if they are to prevail.

Tomorrow sees the general release of my Horus Heresy novella Ravenlord. Originally published as a Limited Special Edition back in May 2014, it will be available to order tomorrow in eBook and mp3 formats, along with pre-orders for the hardback which will be published a week later on the 9th January.

Here’s what others have had to say about Ravenlord:

“I absolutely loved it, because it is the Raven Guard back to being ridiculously hardcore and kick-ass…”

– Darth Sebious, Allies Index Youtube Channel

“The story itself was pretty damn good … The twist towards the end was great, and the spite in that act was chilling! I really can’t wait to see where Gav takes Corax and the Raven Guard from here.”

– Dylan Murphy, Goodreads

“An enjoyable sequel with an engaging story, a strong and developed cast of characters, powerful action scenes; all contained in a beautiful matte-black cover. Thorpe’s Raven Guard just get better with each release.”

– Lord of the Night, Talk Wargaming

You can also watch the trailer for the original release here:

Ravenlord fits into my other Raven Guard stories as follows:

Raven’s Flight
Face of Treachery
Deliverance Lost
The Divine Word
Corax: Soulforge
Ravenlord
The Shadowmasters
The Value of Fear
Raptor

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books. The next draw will be for a copy of the new Ultramarines anthology which contains my novella Catechism of Hate.**

I’ll Need More Holidays in 2016

Having sent my last project of the year off to the editors at Black Library, my mind is already turning to what I have planned for 2016. It’s all very exciting stuff, but as I’m trying to wind down and relax for the Christmas holidays, I’ll leave blogging about those plans until the new year. Instead, I’ll take a look at what I’ve been up to in 2015.

Writing, writing, and more writing

It has been another year packed with writing projects – a relief as a freelancer that paying the bills hasn’t been an issue. I’ve had projects with Black Library, Riot Games, Voodooworx, and StreumOn, the makers of the new Deathwing video game. Although most of these are still under wraps and won’t be published until next year, the following books all came out in 2015:

The Unforgiven (the third book in my Legacy of Caliban trilogy)
Raptor (a Horus Heresy audiobook)
Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan (a Phoenix Lords novel)
Deeds Endure (short story in Warhammer World exclusive anthology Meduson)
Howl of the Banshee (an Eldar audiobook)
The Shadowmasters (A Horus Heresy audiobook short story)

I’ve also had great fun this year writing original short fiction for various anthologies, and the following have been published in 2015.

Game Over (contains my story It Was Beauty…)
Legends 2 (contains my story The Blessed and the Cursed)
Nice Day For a Picnic (contains my story A Wild Affair)
We Can Improve You (contains my story Driver Not Found)
The Story of Hau’Rax (bringing to life the miniatures range from Voodooworx)

The Year of the Hobby

I made a conscious effort this year to devote more time to all things gaming – no mean feat when you have a small child. I bought myself a small paint station that is easily portable, which means getting it out for an hour in the evening is more manageable. I’ve managed to paint several mini’s and some have even seen action on the table. My gaming buddy Carl and I are still enjoying his game Open Combat, and as each game can be fairly short, it’s perfect when you have limited time.

You’ll probably know about my kickstater habit, and this year saw the arrival of the Cthulu Wars expansion (currently consulting an architect about the extension we’ll need to house it all), along with several smaller (literally) games such as Tiny Epic Defenders. Now Kez and I are in more of a routine with Sammy, we’ve managed to find time to actually play games in the evening. I even managed a gaming night with friends.

The New Website

June saw the launch of my snazzy new website. It was several months in the making, so it was great to finally get it out in the wild. I wanted the new site to reflect my three main areas of work – writing, games design, and writing advice, so I hope people have found it easy to navigate to the areas they are interested in. The stats have been really encouraging, so overall I’m really pleased with the new site.

Unsurprisingly the most popular pages of the new site have been Dark Angels Secrets Revealed and More Dark Angels Secrets Revealed, closely followed by the Spoilers page. The books pages are also proving popular, with Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan, and The Unforgiven amongst the highest viewed.

Newsletter

Along with the new website, I also launched my monthly newsletter. The sixth email has recently been sent out, and I think I’m finding my feet with the content, although it is still a bit of an evolving beast. There’s a bi-monthly competition for newsletter subscribers to win a signed copy of one of my books – the next one in January is for the Ultramarines anthology, so if you haven’t already signed up, there’s still time!

Writing Workshops

I’ve had the opportunity this year to deliver several writing workshops, something that’s still fairly new to me, but which I thoroughly enjoy. The feedback I’ve had from the Derby Book Festival and Edgelit has been positive, and I’m hoping to do more of this type of thing in the future.

And Last But Not Least… Sammy

By far the best thing about 2015 has been watching my son Sammy grow and develop. He’s still happy and smiley so we must be doing something right. He’s a real chatterbox and keeps telling people that “Paw Patrol fix Santa’s sleigh”. We’ll be celebrating his 2nd birthday on 28th December.

So that’s it for 2015. I hope you’ve enjoyed my work this year, and will continue to support me through 2016.

Happy New Year!

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books. The next draw is for the new Ultramarines anthology which contains my novella Catechism of Hate.**

Age of Sigmar: Lord of the Cosmic Gate

Christmas Eve sees my contribution to the 2015 Black Library Advent Calendar, with my Age of Sigmar short story, Lord of the Cosmic Gate.

You may recall at the most recent Black Library Weekender there were ‘Platinum’ tickets. One of the perks of this VIP status, as well as dinner with the authors, a bag full of all the new and exclusive releases and some quality time with the editors, was that they would each be killed in a BL tale. I’ve been ‘mortalising’ friends in books for years, and it’s often something you’ll see offered as part of charity auctions and such. My (un)lucky victim was a lovely chap called Richard. Richard has spent many years working in armed forces logistics so my original idea was to have ‘Richard’ as a Departmento Munitorum official whose companion accidentally brings down an orbital bombardment on his own position due to a misplaced digit in the firing solution.

However, I was asked to contribute an Age of Sigmar story, so that idea has been placed in the round file. Instead we have the first Age of Sigmar story about mathematics. And possibly the last. Rikjard, a Sorcerer of Tzeentch, pitches his might and intellect against a Slaan Starmaster and its army of Seraphon, in an attempt to unravel the ultimate equation that will reveal the secrets of the universe and the key to Tzeentch’s kingdom.

At this time of year it’s important to remember there are many people for whom Christmas is a time of struggle and hardship. Whether elderly and alone, refugees fleeing from war, the homeless and the forgotten, there are those that may not have much cause for celebration during the festive season. For this reason, I am donating my fee and all royalties for Lord of the Cosmic Gate to the UN Refugee Agency’s Winter Crisis Appeal.

**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books. The next draw is for a copy of the new Ultramarines anthology which contains my novella Catechism of Hate.**